Concerned and ‘disillusioned’ staff at Dewsbury Train Station set up campaign group to fight proposed ticket office closure

By Adam Cheshire
Published 12th Jul 2023, 16:30 BST
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Concerned customer service staff at Dewsbury Train Station have set up a campaign group to save its ticket office after TransPennine Express announced last week that 14 staffed offices were due to close.

The train operator launched a public consultation last Wednesday, July 5, proposing changes to the way tickets are sold and how customer service is provided at their staffed stations.

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At Dewsbury, where four customer support supervisors currently work on a rota, between 6am and 8am Monday to Saturday, and 7.15am to 7.45pm on a Sunday, the new plans would see all ticket windows close, with “staff moving to other areas where they are better placed to help customers by tickets,” and reduced staffing time hours.

Staff have now set up a Facebook group, Save Dewsbury Train Station Ticket Office, which has already gained over 1,000 members in less than a week, to make the public aware of the consultation, which ends on Wednesday, July 26, so they can “voice their opinions.”

Concerned staff at Dewsbury Train Station have set up a campaign group to fight the proposed closure of the ticket office. Pictured are, from the left, Laura Dittrich, Donna Jasiewicz, Chris Blackburn and Ilyas HansConcerned staff at Dewsbury Train Station have set up a campaign group to fight the proposed closure of the ticket office. Pictured are, from the left, Laura Dittrich, Donna Jasiewicz, Chris Blackburn and Ilyas Hans
Concerned staff at Dewsbury Train Station have set up a campaign group to fight the proposed closure of the ticket office. Pictured are, from the left, Laura Dittrich, Donna Jasiewicz, Chris Blackburn and Ilyas Hans

“We are really disillusioned,” admitted Donna Jasiewicz, 58, who has worked at the station for nearly 20 years. “Part of our job is in the title - service - and we don’t think we will be able to provide the service that we are currently able to do.

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“By the time the first person arrives at work (at the newly proposed 7am start time), seven trains will have already left the station with no access to lifts, toilets or the waiting room in the winter.

“I just think that there are going to be a lot of issues. We want people to be aware of it and we want the people who are not happy about it to protest.

“The group has hit home with the people of Dewsbury and we’d just like to thank them for backing us.”

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The ticket office at Dewsbury Train Station is set to close after new proposals were announced last week.The ticket office at Dewsbury Train Station is set to close after new proposals were announced last week.
The ticket office at Dewsbury Train Station is set to close after new proposals were announced last week.

Fellow colleague Laura Dittrich, 38, added: “We are worried about our loss of income with the reduced hours and the future of our careers hang in the balance.

“We have no ideas on what the proposed rosters will be or how many people are required to work each day.

“It is a worrying time for all of us.”

The consultation period ends on Wednesday, July 26, and you can comment by contacting Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, by email via [email protected] or by Freepost at RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, Transport Focus, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9PZ.

Related topics:DewsburyTranspennine ExpressFacebook